>Gosh, I don't even have a fixed-phone line anymore since last time I moved 
>house 2 years ago; a mobile phone and a 3Mbs radiolink at home 
>are a quite nice replacement already. Still, 3Mbs with 20ms latency 
>even cannot compete with full 10Mbs Ether into my home. This will be
>the choice for many if not most of the people in the western world and
>the far east within the next three to five years. I live basically at
>the end of the world (about 800 kilometers within the polar circle ;),
>and I'm pretty sure I'll have that 10Mbs or 100Mbs in my home within
>three years. You all probably live in much more densely populated,
>less remote and more civilized parts of the world than I do, and you
>expect less than this to enter your home over this time period? Ok, I

Yes.  I live approximately 5-10 miles from MAE-east, and I don't
think there will be any reasonable competition for the local loop
at my house for the next 5 years, minimum.

Should there be?  Yes.  _Will_ there be?  I am not hopeful.  I think
this is a US-specific problem, though.

--Ken